Eastern Europeans flock to UK after Brexit vote

The number of Eastern Europeans working in the UK has surged since the EU referendum vote amid concerns that migrants will be barred from entering after Brexit.

The Office for National Statistics revealed that the number of Eastern European migrants employed in Britain rose by almost 50,000 between July and September.

The figures reveal that the overall number of non-UK nationals working in Britain has risen by 241,000 to 3.4million since the EU referendum in June.

The increase in the number of foreign workers employed in the UK since the vote to leave has led to claims of an "influx" of migrants seeking to find a job in Britain before rules around living and working in the country change.

Lord Green of Deddington, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said: "This continuing influx helps explain why the British people voted for Brexit and is a sharp reminder that the forthcoming negotiations must get these numbers down."

Merkel hints at key concession on free movement

In comments seen as a significant shift, the German Chancellor suggested that the European Union needs to “discuss further” the rules around freedom of movement.

It suggests for the first time that Britain may be able to gain full control of its borders while still retaining access to the single market.

Theresa May and Angela Merkel will meet for talks on FridayCredit:
Action Press/REX/Shutterstock

Canada signals post-Brexit trade deal

Canada's finance minister says his country's relationship with Britain is "particularly special" and has hinted at a post-Brexit trade deal.

At the end of last month the EU and Canada signed a landmark trade deal - seven years in the planning - known as Ceta. Bill Morneau said that the Ceta deal with the EU would be a "positive step" because a post-Brexit Britain could continue benefit from it.

Canada’s economy is ranked at tenth in the world so either retaining a trade deal post-Brexit or negotiating a new one will be key to the UK government’s new economic plan.

Canada's Finance Minister Bill MorneauCredit:
REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Brexit plans 'proving a considerable challenge' for Government

Pulling together the Government's position ahead of Brexit negotiations is "proving a considerable challenge", Sir Simon Fraser, Former Permanent Under-secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has said.

May refuses to condemn Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering USA

When the SNP's MP Tommy Sheppard raised the issue at Prime Minister's Question, she said Britain would "ensure the dignity of our citizens" but added: "It is up to the United States what rules they put in place in terms of entry across their borders but we will be ensuring that special relationship continues and continues in the interests of both the UK and the US."

'Many aspects to the customs union'

Asked how there was no binary choice between staying in or pulling out of the customs union, Theresa May's official spokesman said: "There are many aspects to the customs union and as the Prime Minister said it's right that therefore we work through the detail on all of this as part of preparing for the negotiations.

"There are things such as the tariff, there's the paperwork and kind of bureaucracy, there's rules of origin, so there are many aspects to the customs union."

Labour sources have reiterated Jeremy Corbyn's wish for the Government to reveal its Brexit plans to Parliament before triggering Article 50 and said he was "not ruling out change" to the customs union.

'Rolls Royce fear Britain will leave customs union'

Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC 5live Daily, the MP for Broxstowe said: "I've been to Rolls Royce and I've spoken to them and they said to me for goodness sake at the very least we must not leave the customs union. If we do, you will seriously damage our business and this means real people losing real jobs in real parts of our country."

Anna Soubry

A customs union is a form of trade agreement between two or more countries.

It means they decide not to impose tariffs (taxes on imports) on each other's goods and agree to impose common external tariffs on goods from countries outside their customs union.

However, they also limit the freedom of their individual members to strike their own trade deals.

May tells Facebook and Twitter to do more to tackle trolls

Facebook and Twitter are being "abused and ill-used" by internet trolls and the companies must do more to crack down on them, Theresa May has said.

The Prime Minister said that the companies have "responsibilities" to ensure that their networks are not used to "bully" young people.

It came after Stewart Malcolm, a Scottish National Party MP, told how bullies used social media websites as a "weapon of choice to bully and intimidate" one of his constituents.

Theresa May at PMQsCredit:
PA

He said: "Too often social media is the weapon of choice by those who seek to bully and intimidate others. It was the weapon of choice used against my young constituent, Declan Duncan, when his bullies tried to literally run him out of his own home town, making his life a misery.

"Will she agree to meet with Declan and I to discuss how companies like Facebook and Twitter can be held to account for their platforms being too easily used by those trying to harass and bully others?

Mrs May replied: "The honourable member raises an important issue. Social media is overall a good that is used for good intent. It's even used by political parties sometimes for their campaigning and other ways. But the Hon Gentleman raises an important point.

It can also be abused and ill-used by people who wish to bully others.

"There are members of this house who have suffered significantly as a result of bullying and trolling on social media. The Home Office is well appraised of this as an issue, has been over the years.

"I did as Home Secretary talk to the companies about the responsibilities they have.

I think this is an issue best addressed by the terms and conditions of the companies themselves. I'm sure the Home Secretary has listened very carefully to the points you have raised."

90pc of voters want free trade with EU

An overwhelming majority of voters - 90 per cent - want Britain to continue to trade freely in goods and services with its European neighbours after quitting the EU, according to a survey.

But 70 per cent think the UK should be able to limit the number of EU citizens coming to live and work in the country - something leading European politicians say is not compatible with the single market membership required to permit untrammelled free trade.

Forced to choose between the two priorities, voters questioned by NatCen Social Research opted by the narrowest of margins for immigration controls, with 49 per cent thinking freedom of movement for EU citizens should be kept if it enables the UK to keep free trade, and 51 per cent opposing it.

NatCen senior research fellow Professor John Curtice said the findings suggested voters are not attracted by either the "hard Brexit" or "soft Brexit" scenarios which are often presented as the only options in Britain's withdrawal negotiations.

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Surge in number of Eastern European migrants working in the UK since Brexit vote

The number of Eastern Europeans working in the UK has surged since the EU referendum vote amid concerns that migrants will be barred from entering after Brexit, reports Kate McCann.

The Office for National Statistics revealed that the number of Eastern European migrants employed in Britain rose by almost 50,000 between July and September.

The figures reveal that the overall number of non-UK nationals working in Britain has risen by 241,000 to 3.4million since the EU referendum in June.

People working in car factory

The increase in the number of foreign workers employed in the UK since the vote to leave has led to claims of an "influx" of migrants seeking to find a job in Britain before rules around living and working in the country change.

Lord Green of Deddington, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said: "This is yet another large increase in the labour force driven by an increase in foreign workers.

"That increase amounts to just over a million in three years. In the last year, just over half came from the EU, including 150,000 from Eastern Europe.

"This continuing influx helps explain why the British people voted for Brexit and is a sharp reminder that the forthcoming negotiations must get these numbers down."

Citizenship rights

Theresa May says she would "want, intend and expect" to guarantee citizenship rights for EU nationals living in the UK but insists this cannot happen unless the same rights are guaranteed for Britons living in other member states.

She tells MPs: "I want, intend and expect to be able to guarantee the rights of those EU citizens living here in the United Kingdom but I also want to see the rights of UK citizens living in EU member states guaranteed too. I would hope that this is an issue on which we can come to a position to which we can discuss with my European colleagues at an early stage."

Advice for fat middle-aged men?

Tory MP Richard Bacon, who represents South Norfolk, sparks some laughter in the Commons today after asking Theresa May what advice she has for "fat middle-aged men" who feel left behind following the success of women and ethnic minorities in politics.

He asked: "Following the election of Mr Trump and the very welcome progress made by women and ethnic minorities, what message of reassurance does the Prime Minister have for fat middle-aged men who may feel we have been left behind?"

Mrs May responds: "That's a very interesting point. Perhaps the honorable gentleman would like to come up and see me sometime."

May welcomes Carswell's free trade commitment

Ukip's only MP Douglas Carswell says trade deals should be done on the mutual recognition of standards, not on specific regulations.

Theresa May welcomes his commitment to free trade and gives some very warm support to his question. Could this be a sign that Mr Carswell, UKIP's only MP and a former conservative, would be welcomed back into the fold?

Jeremy Corbyn is all over the place today

Kate McCann, our senior political correspondent, is in the Chamber watching PMQs. She offers this analysis.

"One of the most disorganised efforts by Jeremy Corbyn to date. Even his own MPs are looking bemused by his line of questioning, which sought to combine Brexit with the Chagos islands in the first question.

Conservative MPs are cheering the Prime Minister as she says the Government has a plan and is united in its determination to deliver it.

The Labour leader has another crack at the "leaked memo" line but has a little success with a joke at Boris Johnson's expense after the Foreign Secretary said the government will make a "titanic" success of Brexit.

Mrs May laughs and nods towards Boris who is sat slightly further down the bench during the exchange.

Theresa May repeats the line she has previously given stating her support for the judiciary but also her support for a free press.

Again, Mr Corbyn's questions appear to be all over the place today. He hasn't managed to land a blow yet.

May hints there could be help for those at the bottom in the autumn statement as she talks up previous Conservative manifesto commitments to helping those who are barely managing. She highlights the increase in the personal allowance. "

Corbyn presses May on Brexit strategy

Jeremy Corbyn asks how many extra civil servants are required for Brexit negotiations after reports that up to 30,000 new people may be required.

Theresa May says: "We are doing the preparations necessary for the point at which we start the complex negotiations for exiting the European Union.

"From the confusion he's got on his benches it is yet another example with Labour were they talk, we act, they posture, we deliver, we get on with the job, he's not up to the job."

"Well that was exciting wasn't it," Mr Corbyn hits back.

Jeremy Corbyn at PMQsCredit:
PA

He adds: "I don't wish to promote any further divisions on their benches. These are the most complicated set of negotiations. The Civil Service has been cut down to its lowest levels since the Second World War."

He then goes on to ask whether Liz Truss, the Justice Secretary, would defend Supreme Court judges against public attacks if they uphold the High Court's decision to force the Government to ask Parliament for consent to trigger Article 50.

Mr Corbyn is not happy. "We need a better answer than she's given us," he insists.

Mrs May is furious, telling MPs: "We have a Leader of the Opposition who is incapable of leading."

With that, the session between Mr Corbyn and Mrs May is over and other MPs are now asking their questions.

Brexit plans in 'chaos'

Jeremy Corbyn picks up on comments made by Carlo Calenda, a former Italian envoy to Brussels, in which he said the Government's Brexit plans are in "chaos".

Asked again if she would explain her plans, Mrs May insists: "If we were to do that it would be the best possible way of ensuring we got the worst possible result for this country. That is why we won't do it."

Divisions within Cabinet

Jeremy Corbyn picks up on so-called divisions within the Cabinet over the Government's Brexit strategy.

He urges Theresa May to put her plan before Parliament.

She hits back: "Yes we do have a plan. Our plan is to deliver the best possible trade with the European Union. Our plan is to go out across the world and negotiate free trade agreements with the rest of the world. This government is absolutely united in its determination to deliver the will of the British people and deliver Brexit."

Prime Minister's Questions coming up next

We are now a few minutes away from this week's Prime Minister's Questions. MPs were in Recess last week so this is the first chance we've had to see Jeremy Corbyn question Theresa May for a couple of weeks. But what will he ask today?

Boris Johnson accused of 'insulting' Italians in diplomatic row over Brexit and prosecco

Boris Johnson has been accused of "insulting" the Italians in a row about Brexit and sales of prosecco.

Carlo Calenda, a former Italian envoy to Brussels, said that the Foreign Secretary had told him that Italy would sell less prosecco if the European Union did not allow Britain to remain in the single market.

9,000 petitions in one month after EU referendum

Almost 9,000 public petitions were submitted to Parliament in the month after the EU referendum, reflecting the scale of the passionate debate which divided the country.

The flood of petitions on both sides of the EU debate was around nine times the normal level, and included a call for a second Brexit referendum which has attracted more than 4.1 million signatures - around one-fifth of the total submitted over the course of the year.

Michael Gove ponders 'quickie divorce' for Britain

All European Union nationals who live and work in Britain should be allowed to stay, regardless of how long they have been here, in order to allow Britain to pusure a "quickie divorce", Michael Gove has suggested.

The possibility of offering citizenship to EU nationals who have been in Britain for more than five years has been mooted ahead of Brexit negotiations.

But the former justice secretary has told a committee of MPs that this could "overcomplicate what can be a simplified process".

Watch | Gove wants 'quickie divorce' from EU

00:42

Catherine Barnard, professor of European Union law at the University of Cambridge, warned that it would be "laborious" to require EU citizens to make individual applications for citizenship.

She said: "A quickie divorce would have to say anyone here before 23 June or 31 March can remain here irrespective of the paperwork."

Mr Gove responded: "This is precisely my concern that there is always a tendency to over complicate what can be a simplified process. If we simply say we are going to let people stay then we don't need to go through that process."

He also suggested that Britain could leave the EU without the need for thousands of extra civil servants.

Mr Gove said: "There is a tendency for all of us to sometimes look at a problem and to think that the skills we have are perhaps the best answer to the problem. There is a tendency if one is a very gifted senior civil servant to say what this problem needs is more civil servants and if one is a superb European Union lawyer to say what this problem needs is more lawyers.

"Can we simplify? What if I were to determine to simply leave the European Union, to trigger Article 50 and to conclude the bare minimum in order to leave? What would Article 50 actually require me to agree? For the purposes of this question, I am not worried about transitional arrangements, I am prepared to take the economic hit or to secure the economic benefits of not being inside the single market and being outside the customs union. I simply want the divorce on the quickest possible terms. What do I need in that quickie divorce?"

Catherine Barnard, professor of European Union law at the University of CambridgeCredit:
parliamentlive.tv

Professor Barnard responded: "In a quickie divorce there are certain key areas where we have commitments that go beyond 2019, of which for example research fund expenditure is a good example. There are migration issues, for example what is the situation for EU nationals currently living and working in the UK and UK nationals living and working in other member states, particularly in respect of healthcare entitlements and the application of social security regulations.

"There is no quick fix solution because we have no record of how many EU nationals are living in the UK. There are various options that have been mooted, including giving those who have been here for a long time a right to stay but there are a lot of problems with how you prove an individual has been living here for a long time.

"A quickie divorce would have to say anyone here before 23 June or 31 March can remain here irrespective of the paperwork."

'Britain needs more civil servants to deliver Brexit'

Britain does not have enough civil servants with the right skills to negotiation an exit from the European Union.

That's the verdict from Sir Simon Fraser, who is continuing to address a committee of MPs this morning.

"Clearly those skills are not present in the numbers we need within the Civil Service," he said.

"It is quite difficult in the short term to build up skilled people rapidly. The number of people working in the Civil Service who have direct hands on trade negotiation experience numbers in the 20s or 40s. If you look across other national governments, like the Japanese they have many numbers of trade negotiators, thousands even.

"The Civil Service is smaller now than it has been at any time since the Second World War. It seems to me in some areas we will need more people to conduct the negotiation."

Government must spell out Brexit plan, thinktank warns

The Institute for Government has warned that the Government's Brexit plan "is not clear" and it must spell out "where its priorities lie".

Dr Hannah White, director of research, told a committee of MPs this morning: "The government needs to be really clear about where it's priorities lie. The Civil Service can absolutely deliver Brexit and there may well be a very good plan about how Whitehall can deliver it but that plan is not clear.

"The Civil Service is 19 per cent smaller than it was in 2010, it has all the manifesto commitments from the government when it came into power, Theresa May has some additional requests, it is dealing with these cuts and Brexit is an additional burden."

Dr Hannah White, director of research at Institute for GovernmentCredit:
parliamentlive.tv

Brexit plans 'proving a considerable challenge' for government

Pulling together the Government's position ahead of Brexit negotiations is "proving a considerable challenge", Sir Simon Fraser, Former Permanent Under-secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has said.

Referring to a leaked memo about the Government's preparedness for Brexit negotiations, he told a committee of MPs: "The memo was not a particularly impressive document. It was overwritten and exaggerated.

Sir Simon Fraser, Former Permanent Under-secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeCredit:
parliamentlive.tv

"But I think setting that aside, as I understand it the process that it describes about how the government is forming policy and pulling together a strategy is broadly accurate. Various departments are being asked about their priorities.. and then the centre of government will bring it together into an overall approach to negotiation.

"My understanding is that it is indeed proving a considerable challenge in Whitehall to do this. The government is still in information gathering mode and is not yet at the stage of integrating it into the plan.

Canada's finance minister says his country's relationship with Britain is "particularly special" and has hinted at a post-Brexit trade deal.

At the end of last month the EU and Canada signed a landmark trade deal - seven years in the planning - known as Ceta.

Canada’s economy is ranked at tenth in the world so either retaining a trade deal post-Brexit or negotiating a new one will be key to the UK government’s new economic plan.

Bill Morneau told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Ceta deal with the EU would be a "positive step" because a post-Brexit Britain could continue benefit from it.

Canada's Finance Minister Bill MorneauCredit:
REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Mr Morneau said: "We want strong trading relationships with our partners here in the UK and our deal with Europe was a positive step. Our expectation is that Britain will ratify the deal and be part of that deal.

"How the UK and Europe concludes on their arrangement will of course be for them to conclude.

"We have a long standing approach to working with the UK."

Asked if he had been in talks with British ministers, he added: "We're always talking about our relationships. Of course with the UK it is a particularly special relationship. We will respect the way the UK and Europe concludes its relationship."

Mr Morneau did not rule out extending the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) to include the UK in what was dubbed the 'North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement'.

He said: "For us the framework is always thinking about Canadians. How do we increase our prosperity and we believe trade agreements create a good playing field for people to understand how they can invest. We are very optimistic with respect to the Ceta deal. We think it is going to be positive for Canadians, Europeans and people here in the UK.

"Nafta for us has been a very positive trade agreement. It has created real prosperity in region.

Boris Johnson attacks freedom of movement

In an interview with a Czech newspaper on Tuesday, Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, described as “b------s” the repeated claims by EU politicians that freedom of movement is a central tenet of the bloc’s existence.

He said: “Everybody now has it in their head that every human being has some fundamental God-given right to move wherever they want. It’s not true. That was never the case. That was never a founding principle of the EU. Total myth.”

“[There will be a] dynamic trade relationship [between the UK and the EU] and we will take back control of our borders, but we remain an open and welcoming society,” he said. “We probably will have to come out of the customs union, but that’s a question I am sure will be discussed.”

May and Merkel to meet on Friday

Theresa May is due to meet Mrs Merkel in Berlin on Friday at a meeting that will be attended by Barack Obama, the outgoing American President.

Speaking in Berlin, Angela Merkel said that making an “exception” for Britain would “endanger” the principles of the EU.

“Were we to make an exception for the free movement of people with Britain, this would mean we would endanger principles of the whole internal market in the European Union, because everyone else will then want these exceptions," she said.

Angela Merkel, the German ChancellorCredit:
REX/Shutterstock

However, on the finer detail of defining the free movement of people, she added: "I personally am of the view that we will have to discuss further with the [European] Commission when this freedom of movement applies from."

“The question of when lifelong guarantees come into effect according to the social standard of the host country must certainly be taken into consideration,” Mrs Merkel said.

Her comments indicate that Mrs Merkel is open to allowing countries like Britain to curb migration, something she was steadfastly opposed to in the build-up to the EU referendum in June.

Offering "fair" negotiations to the UK, Merkel added: "First, however, Britain must explain in what manner it would like this exit."

Angela Merkel gestures while chatting with US President Barack Obama outside the Elmau Castle during the G7 summit in 2015

Until now, Mrs Merkel has always insisted that there would never be any movement on the issue of freedom of movement, which gives EU citizens the right to live and work in any country on the continent.

Theresa May has pledged that freedom of movement is her “red line” during Brexit negotiations and that she will insist on full control of the country’s borders.

Mrs Merkel’s comments came just hours after Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, said it is “nonsense” to suggest that freedom of movement is one of the “fundamental freedoms” of the EU.

Brexit supporting MPs last night said Mrs Merkel’s comments signal “the beginning of a new realism in the EU” and Whitehall sources told the Telegraph it is “the first crack in the armour”.

However the Prime Minister’s Official Spokeswoman said that the memo was “unsolicited” and that the consultant who wrote it had not been working for the Government.

She accused Deloitte of “touting for business” and attacked both The Times and the BBC for the way in which they reported the story.

Senior eurosceptic Conservative MPs yesterday branded the story as “patent nonsense” and suggested that the release of the document was part of a plot by Remain campaigners to frustrate Brexit.

After a day of criticism Deloitte released a statement admitting that the memo was “not commissioned by the Cabinet Office” and was “conducted without access to No.10 or input from other Government departments".